Despite offering some of the best cameras in smartphones, Google's Pixel lineup has not been able to break the stronghold that Apple and Samsung enjoy in the smartphone market. However, according to Google's research, with the release of the Google Pixel 5 this year, the company is trying to compete on the price front.

As spotted by Android Authority, a Reddit user posted a screenshot of a smartphone pricing survey that Google is apparently circulating. If the survey is legitimate, and it seems to be a way for the company to gauge expectations and interest in future releases, the Pixel 5 may be one of the cheapest flagships this fall.

The survey mentions two Pixel releases: one is billed as the "Google Pixel Phone" with a plastic body and 3.5mm headphone jack. Meanwhile, the second model, described as the "Premium Google Pixel Phone" with "best-in-class camera, wireless charging, and water resistance," costs $699.

The first model clearly represents the Pixel 4a. And this price of $349 was not pulled out of thin air. Last week, Stephen Hall of 9to5Google said that Google's upcoming budget smartphone will cost $349, $50 less than Apple's newly released iPhone SE 2020. Selling the Pixel 4a at such a discounted price suggests that Google is hoping to undercut its main competitor on price.

Assuming the "premium Google Pixel Phone" mentioned in the survey is the Pixel 5, Google's impulse to cut costs will continue with the fall release of its flagship model. Last year's Pixel 4 debuted for $799, so Google will be lowering the price of its new flagship device by $100. More importantly, the Pixel 5 will sell for $300 less than the Galaxy S20 while being priced similarly to the iPhone 11. This price will put the Pixel 5 in competition with the iPhone 12, which will be released this fall. iPhone 12 is expected to start around $649, while the Pro Max model could cost as much as $1,099.

Google will have to sacrifice some features to lower the price of the Pixel 5. That could mean eliminating the Soli sensor introduced in the Pixel 4, which powers the gesture-based Motion Sense feature. More likely, it could be a sign that Google will skip the Snapdragon 865 chipset in this year's top Android phones in favor of a cheaper mobile processor.

Rumors suggest that the Pixel 5 will use either the Snapdragon 765 or the newly announced Snapdragon 768G. These chipsets do not have the power of the Snapdragon 865, but they have enough processing and graphics power for most smartphone shoppers. These two chipsets also have built-in 5G modems, allowing Google's Pixel 5 to connect to next-generation cellular networks while saving money.

It will take some more time to determine if this Google research on smartphone pricing is a sign of things to come; the Pixel 4a is likely to be available in June or later, and the Pixel 5 in the fall or later.